Nari Ward (1963, St. Andrew, Jamaica) is an internationally renowned contemporary artist known for his monumental and site-specific installations that explore themes of memory, community, cultural identity and social dynamics. He lives and works in New York, where he creates works that combine salvaged materials and profound symbolism, creating narratives that invite reflection.
Ward participated in Art to Art VI, where he developed a project for the Poggibonsi incinerator,
Illuminated Sanctuary of Empty Sins, transforming an industrial site into a work of art charged with social and environmental significance. Subsequently, he exhibited Holding Patterns at Santa Croce sull'Arno. In addition, he donated a work, Radiant Scans #1 , to support the realisation of the Neophyte Park, in Prato, a reforestation project born from fundraising Art for Reforestationdemonstrating its commitment to environmental issues.
Nari Ward has exhibited in prestigious international institutions and biennials, distinguishing himself for his ability to interweave art, social context and collective reflection, making his work a fundamental voice in the contemporary art scene.
Nari Ward (born 1963 in St. Andrew, Jamaica; lives and works in New York City) is known for his sculptural installations composed of discarded materials found and collected in his neighbourhood. He has reused objects such as prams, shopping carts, bottles, doors, televisions, cash registers and shoelaces, among others, recontextualising them into thought-provoking juxtapositions that generate complex and metaphorical meanings. His work addresses social and political issues related to race, poverty and consumer culture, deliberately leaving the meaning of his works open to allow the viewer to offer their own interpretation.
One of his most iconic works, Amazing Grace, was created during a residency at The Studio Museum in Harlem in 1993, in response to the AIDS crisis and drug epidemic in the early 1990s. For this large-scale installation, Ward collected over 365 abandoned prams, commonly used by Harlem's homeless population to transport their belongings, and tied them up with fire hoses in a disused fire station. The work was accompanied by an audio recording of the gospel song Amazing Grace sung by Mahalia Jackson, evoking hope and redemption. This work, like many of Ward's others, explored themes related to materials, community and the context in which it was created, taking on different meanings in the places where it was shown, including the New Museum in New York and several European locations.
Ward received a BA from the City University of New York, Hunter College, in 1989, and an MA in Fine Arts from the City University of New York, Brooklyn College, in 1992. He has exhibited his work in major international institutions, including the Contemporary Arts Museum in Houston, the New Museum in New York, MAXXI in Rome, the Pérez Art Museum in Miami, and the Venice Biennale (1995, 1997, 1999, 2005, 2013, 2017).
His works are part of prestigious public and private collections, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and the GAM in Turin. Ward has received numerous awards, including the Fellowship Award from the United States Artists (2020), the Vilcek Prize in Fine Arts (2017) and the Rome Prize from the American Academy in Rome (2012), as well as commissions from the United Nations and the World Health Organisation.